Navy SEAL dies in parachute accident
The Associated Press reports that a Navy SEAL died in a parachute accident yesterday;
The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details beyond a brief statement issued by Naval Special Warfare Group One, which is the Coronado, California-based SEALs group to which the sailor was assigned.
An American flag was draped over the body after the accident as emergency responders stood nearby.
The skydiver was reported down shortly after 9 a.m. near state Route 74 in an unincorporated area near Perris, where much of Southern California’s skydiving — and many of its accidents — take place.
His name hasn’t been released to the public yet. It’s a reminder that training is sometimes as dangerous as the actual war.
Category: Blue Skies
Damn.
Rest in peace, my brother-in-arms. May God comfort your surviving family and friends.
RIP…God Bless you Brother. that picture… damn.
Fair winds and following seas, sailor.
Rest Easy Trooper, your mission on this earth is accomplished.
Thoughts and prayers for your family and comrades.
You will be greatly missed.
Even in training. . . . . .
Damn I hate these stories. RIP
Me too. Why God, WHY GOD, couldn’t this have been LoNgPuRpLeDoNgSchLuRper69 becomming a giant divot and not this HERO? Why???
/sometimes there are no answers.
I thank this young man for serving and giving his life, even in the dangerous affairs of training to defend our country. God bless and keep his family now and may this young warrior rest in peace.
Fair Winds and Following Seas Frogman.
Condolences to family, friends, colleagues…RIP young man.
“The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details beyond a brief statement issued by Naval Special Warfare Group One, which is the Coronado, California-based SEALs group to which the sailor was assigned.”
Lousy bastards. Did they bother ensuring that family was first notified? There are good reasons that these matters go through channels and authorization is required to speak to the press about them.
God rest his soul.
Thank for this well said. As a Gold Star Mother I would not wanted my notification made public before I was notified.
i’d have to believe that if NSWC made a public announcement, the NOK would have already been notified. Unfortunately, they’ve had enough experience with this not to be rookies at the notification process.
Somebody needs to start prosecuting these anonymous ‘officials’ when they flap their yap, but you never hear of that happening.
May he rest in peace and condolences to the family.
RIP…..
Rest in peace, brother. Prayers for family and friends.
May the Angels of His Mercy bring solace to all his family and friends.
It’s a real bummer, but for some reason I don’t think a death is an appropriate reason for disrespecting the U.S. flag by letting it touch the ground.
I would normally never place a flag on the ground; that having been said, I would say this. No symbol is more important than the lifeblood of the people who make that symbol important, our warriors most particularly. I would rather see a flag drape his lifeless body, even on the ground, than to see him so poorly thought of as to be covered with a tarp.
Just wondering;
Was he making a practice jump for some type of demo and was jumping the flag. I cannot imagine how a flag would have been on the DZ otherwise.
It would have been easy available and I do not think disrespectful to use it to cover his body.
I have seen many pictures of dead soldiers being evacuated and when they get into the helo they are covered with a flag.
Maybe I was too concise in what I wrote above. I want to insure everyone that I never thought the flag was being disrespected. If anything, by protecting the body of this fallen warrior, the flag for which he fought and died for, is returning the respect that the flag was given by this warrior.
What Pinto Nag said.
I thank God that this warrior lived and ask God to give comfort to his family.
RIP.
USAF Pararescue, would carry US Flags with them on missions to cover the bodies of US KIA’s. Arguably parts of the flag would touch the ground, floor of the helicopter, etc… I think we can shelf the discussion of disrespect to the flag.
When Fort DeRussy in Louisiana was captured in March 1864, the first Union color-bearer to mount the wall was killed as he crested the parapet. This was about sundown. His body lay in state on the wall the rest of the night, covered by the colors he had carried.
That was 151 years ago this week. Apparently, covering the bodies of fallen US servicemen with their flag is a long-standing tradition.
Fallen warriors are draped in the colors they died protecting. There is absolutely no disrespect in this, in fact, I can think of no greater way to honor the symbol of freedom.
This fallen SEAL was a living breathing human being, dedicated to the ideals which make this nation great, he gave his life in defense of those ideals, regardless that this was a training incident. The physical flag is simply a piece of colored cloth, the beliefs that flag represent is what is important.
A real bummer?
So what is a bad day like for you?
So you don’t think the death of a NSW operator is an appropriate reason for covering his body with the Flag of the US just after he lost his life in defense of said flag (and what it represents)?
Jack wagon!
Discussion about flag is odd!
It is not UNCOMMON for tropps to carry flags suitable for this porpose, however I suspect it was provided after the incident as an appropriate and respectful jesture.
The flag NSW Leap Frogs flies is quite large.
The flag appropriately and properly covering the Sailor is a 9.5 x 5 ceremonial or burial flag.
Clearly someone from NSW or a local authority provided the flag as the Sailor would remain in place during intial investigation of death.
Nothing disrespectful, no conspiracies the flag was provided and placed properly on the Sailor.
Period!
RIP Sailor!
OUT!
I broke my back on a jump 5 years ago, I was lucky. Rest in peace my brother
Guy in the top bunk above me died during jump school.
Every time you stand in the door you never know.
RIP BIA
The flag I also found odd. I wondered who would have one large enough for this purpose on a training jump. I and many others carried a small flag with us everytime we jumped. I also carried a St. Christopher’s Medal.
Anyone that would bring up part of the flag touching the ground with what it is being used for is a douche.
RIP Sailor and my condolences go out to your family.
Side note: The ceremonial/burial flag of that size is available to be issued, upon request by the family or by a legitimate agency, from any US Post Office nationwide.